immigration Advocates gathered in Newark as part of a national day of action calling for the Biden Administration to shut down all detention centers and release people who still remain in them it comes after a federal judge ruled to keep New Jersey's final detention center open in Elizabeth siding with the center's private operator core Civic Ted Goldberg was there as advocates rallied for the closure to close the damn place down I'd like to believe that we change hearts and Minds by doing this but I just keep showing up because it's the right thing to do immigration Advocates hope their music and marching can persuade people to protest the Elizabeth Detention Center or EDC New Jersey's only private Detention Center working with ice is still open thanks to a recent ruling from a federal judge I've been protesting the Detention Center in Elizabeth for the last 13 years when I first visited two people that were detained in there it was a completely Unforgettable experience for me to think about how I might never see my daughters again my family and how if I was returned to my home country I would be killed after a mile long march through downtown Newark Juan Regalado spoke about the six months he spent at the EDC and how it traumatized him the place was marked by bad food poor conditions lack of medication I would report my my medical needs to the direct to the senior supervisor and they would go unanswered my body was marked for Life while I was there due to the unsanitary conditions Regalado is far from alone others who spent time detained in Elizabeth have long complained about abuse and poor treatment unless you've been detained you can't possibly understand what a hell it is but you can't easily communicate with your family you can't easily there these kinds of stories have repeatedly brought protesters to Newark and the facility itself hoping to convince leaders to close the EDC downers and stop the separation of families and treat people like birds human beings a lot of people don't even know that there's immigration detention at all and that it's happening just a few miles from here is it's hidden and that's on purpose protesters who came to newark's Peter rodino Federal Building pleaded their case to the Biden Administration they say Biden has broken campaign Promises by siding with EDC owner core Civic in its lawsuit against New Jersey we saw the bite Administration take the side of a different private prison Corporation in a similar lawsuit in California so we know that Biden says that he's a friend of immigrants and for immigrant rights and justice but here we're seeing that in actuality he's not willing to come out for the side of Justice here providing Administration is also asking for another one billion and extra money for ice and CBP and that's money that should be going through our communities the EDC was set to close on August 31st the Murphy Administration is appealing the decision to keep it open in Newark I'm Ted Goldberg Ted Goldberg, NJ Spotlight News [Music] [Music]